May The Darkness Rise Up And Meet You
by La Perla
Summary: *Session FOUR is UP!* Skye is ordered to interrogate Ward, with mixed results. What does he know about her powers? And how do they involve him...? Beware the smut! Thanks for following so far.
1. Session 1

S2 promo scene has me all aflutter so I penned this to settle it down. Hope you like. Redemption arc MUST happen but slowly.

_GR interrogation, Session 1. September 23, 2014_

The room was small but when they brought him in, it shrank even further. Not seeing Ward ever again had been her preference, but after their latest mission to get something meaningful on HYDRA had gone south, again, AC had asked, then ordered. Ward refused to see anyone else.

She kept her eyes firmly on the wall, a tiny rebellion against the powers that had driven her back to him, and the confines of this room. Stale air and four walls used to be comforting but were the opposite now.

Get the info and get out, before he got under her skin - simple. Those feelings from before were dead, murdered by him along with all those people, but they resided in a shallow grave - threatening to climb out and choke her at every turn. No. She was definitely over it. Definitely.

Resolute, she gave him her back as he shuffled further in, chains at his feet and wrists rattling hard. The burn of him ran along her spine, and lower, but she held in the shiver it called forth. She wouldn't be pulled into the dark this time - let him rot down there, forever, alone.

Folders tucked safely under one arm, she strode over to the side table, against the far wall, and poured a glass of water from the jug. It used to be glass but he wasn't permitted within a hundred feet of anything that could be used as a weapon. She smiled to herself - if only they knew about her - took a slow sip, and, finally, turned to face him.

Faded bruises shadowed his forehead, and heavy bags weighed on his eyes, but she was braced for it. Solitary for three months, and then maximum security for the past two, only permitted out for questioning, was bound to have taken its toll.

'We can do this one way, or the worst way.' her eyes raked him, head to toe, 'I'd say the worst way is something you're familiar with.'

Hungry eyes coasted over every inch of her until the air between them pulled taunt and a tiny smile quirked at his mouth. He'd lost weight but gained a beard. Neither suited him, but it was the expression in his eyes that had her heart squeezing in her chest. It was all there, bleeding and raw, right on the surface - he was concealing nothing now. Good.

Out of sight, she stabbed nails to palm and told herself he was just like any other prisoner. A serial killer, a murderer. Mistreatment was deserved and then some, but a hushed voice spoke up in the din of racing thoughts, whispering passionate kisses, strong arms and second chances.

Their last confrontation in the bus flashed across her mind.

She'd watched the footage back since then, many times, when she was still desperate enough to want to understand why. The pure grief she'd witnessed on his face, after she'd told him she'd never give him what he wanted, was a balm she'd missed on the first go round. But when she thought of what he'd done to Fitzsimmons (she hoped they'd beaten him to seconds from death) and May…vengeful fires there burned swift and bright. They'd all protested against it but an order was an order, unless it was from AC, then it was a directive.

Finally, he came to life. Swallowing hard, he raised a hand but when the chains prevented him, his hand dropped once more. 'Skye…'

'That's Agent Marshall, Mr Ward.' she motioned to the chair, 'Sit.'

Something flashed in his eyes but was quickly extinguished and his eyes swept instantly to her left hand. 'Marshall?' he said.

'That's right.' Her own private joke. SHIELD had demanded that she pick something, can't have an agent with no last name. How could they file things properly? She'd tried on a few others but Marshall worked, and it appealed to her sense of fun. She was a L4 Agent now, 'marshaling' all the remaining strength of SHIELD, with their ragtag team, for those who couldn't defend themselves, or against those who wanted to exploit and harm.

Her expression flattening, she pointed to the chair. He sat, all emotion drained from his eyes.

She opened the first of three folders, 'What do you know about Vector 31?'

'Nothing' he bit out. 'Who's Marshall?' Ward the operative was back.

Skye tapped her pen against the table. 'Henders Uger? Who is he?'

He shook his head, eyes never leaving her face. 'No idea. Skye-'

She held up a hand. 'Where can we find Grace Petra?'

'Skye, I told I wasn't a good man -' her eyes flew to his face and whatever he saw there brought the silence she wanted.

He shrugged, 'Somewhere.'

Skye leaned forward, 'So you know her?'

'No, but if you do, then she must be somewhere. Everyone is somewhere, Agent Marshall.' he murmured, voice catching. May's fracture had changed the sound of him. Before it was a soundtrack of inoffensive pop music punctuated by rogue baselines - courtesy of DJ HYDRA, she supposed - but now, it had a rough, discordant texture like garage cleaving through jazz. Not bad, but nothing you'd want to dance to either.

'Where is HYDRA HQ?' she said, and their eyes clashed. His written with a thousand apologies and heat, hers a wailing wall of bitterness and regret. She let him see it plainly because she would never be back where they were, ever. They had three of these sessions ahead of them, once for each folder, so she needed him on the same screen. He still wanted her, badly, she could sense it, undulating across the table, teasing her. It gave her immense pleasure to deny him, again. 'HYDRA? HQ? Where is it.' she prompted.

'No idea.'

Gone was the upright stance of robot Ward, in its place the slouch of a man untethered. It made him extremely unpredictable. AC had warned that Ward would fall back on every bit of his training and try to get her to react, to storm out.

Under the table, he shifted his legs so his thigh grazed her knee, and when she didn't move away instantly, it began to brush back and forth, over and over, in a smooth rhythm. The expression that met hers was steady, unaffected. Ready for something of this nature, she left her leg where it was, quelling the thrum of it. 'Have you ever been there? With Garrett?'

Shaking his head, eyes closing briefly at the mention of Garrett but opening they soldered to hers once more. 'No, never. With him, or anyone.'

She flicked at pages, for something to do with hands that wanted to slap and scratch. 'Have you even seen it?' He smelled the same, of guns, and danger, and musk. It was a signature cocktail and her lower belly clenched.

He sighed, but moved his leg up higher on the next pass so thigh met thigh. Internally, Skye screamed. Why was he doing that? Never mind, she'd work the lot of out on the bag later. She'd drawn his face on it, with a sharpie.

He shook his head. 'That one again. No, I've never been to a place I don't know.'

His cooperation was surprising but what intrigued her was the stonewalling, he definitely knew something, but he was holding back. And she didn't understand why - there was nothing left to salvage, so why not let it all burn to the ground?

He still wanted her, the greed in his eyes told her that, but she knew he was too smart for that to be the only reason why she was here.

She wondered what he'd when they told him what she'd done? For a few weeks after his arrest she'd gone AWOL, and the result were something she wasn't proud of, but if it wounded him, worse than he had her, then she was willing to risk it. Although, timing was everything.

Fed up, she closed the folder. 'And when will you get out of here?'

His eyes flew to hers, and he drew his leg away, but the gaze that met hers was speculative. 'You tell me.'

Dropping her voice, she leaned in, pleased when he did the same. Their faces now just inches apart, eyes tracing brows, eyes, cheeks, lips.

She leaned a little more, mouths just a breath apart, 'I'm thinking never,' she whispered, glanced at her watch, and stood. 'Time's up.'

She was at the door before he said, softly, 'Do they know what you are yet? Because I do.'

To be continued…(part 1/3)

_A/N: Man alive, I realise the scene between them will likely be nothing like this but I hope we get max feels out of it still. Also, posted to tumblr ribbonhats _


	2. Session 2

_A/N: Thanks for all the likes and follows. Prepare your eyes for round two! Like most of my stories, this part has gone in a smuttier direction (and part 3 will likely be worse again). _

_GR interrogation, Session 2. September 30, 2014 _

Skye reached the corridor and paused, gathering to face him. After their last encounter, she feared she face a wall again. A.C. said he understood but she doubted he really meant it - perhaps she'd get Fitz down here, then he'd talk. Unprepared, but unable to stall any longer, Skye took a deep breath, exhaling sharply into the empty space, and opened the door - to find him already seated.

Chained as before, he appeared relaxed, but on the concrete floor, encircling the legs of his chair, was a stong silver bar. Fitzsimmons called it a lighting hoop - one move away from that chair, and he was dead.

She merely raised an eyebrow and, for a moment, he looked shamefaced.

'New security measure,' he muttered, 'the guards and I got into a little skirmish.' Chains rattled as he leaned forward, 'So, have you thought about what I said?'

How could she have thought of anything else? He wasn't the first to try and goad her into pleading for answers. None existed, she knew that better than anyone, she'd exhausted every single lead, and then some. It was just another indicator of his trained cruelty to taunt her with it.

'We both know you've got nothing, so save it -'

He laughed, hard eyes fixing on her face, as if trying to steal through to her heart.

Ignoring the twinge at her nape, she moved towards him, eyes alert, 'So you have got something for me? So spill it.'

He smirked. 'Sure? You may not like it.'

She scoffed, 'Please, like you know anything about me anymore -'

Face set, his gaze sharpened.

Hands going to the table, he leaned forwards, 'I know enough.' Silently, daring her into something but she hadn't a clue what.

She yawned and looked around the room.

Opened his mouth wide, he made out three words in a language she didn't understand.

At their command, something inside her moved aside, as heavy as a tomb, and let the inside spill out into the open. Violent energy surged through Skye, from had to toe, gushing from her centre out. Her hands, her skin, glowed with a strange violet light.

The force of it knocked her back to the wall.

'What?! Ward! Whatever you're doing-'

But all she heard was the pop of the cameras going dark.

'No more secrets,' he said, repeating the words again, so they found a place in even the darkest corner. Tendrils of the same eerie light on her skin wove into the room. Like nothing she'd ever felt before, the energy inside and out twisted and catapulted around her, but it had just one focal point: Ward.

Everything inside her dragged towards him, like the tide going out, unstoppable as gravity. And he knew it. Eyes alight with triumph in the shadowed room. Skye gasped as another surge thundered across her skin, and her inner muscled clenched down on nothing. Hard.

'It's all right, come here. It's OK, come to me.' he crooned, voice low.

She tried - _oh how she tried_ - but she couldn't contain it, couldn't hold it in, it crashed over her with the force of the tsunami on a reef. So, like a drug addict offered a free fix, she went, straddling, and fixed her mouth to his. He kissed her back, just as fiercely, until they were both were gasping for air.

Hands going to her hips, sharp white teeth nipping lightly at her throat, he breathed, 'That's it. I'm yours, Skye. I always have been…Come on, ask me...'

Skye's reply was a desperate gulp of air before her mouth found his once more.

Scrabbling about for control, she grabbed his hair, bringing his eyes to hers, 'Tell me,' she said, in a voice that was not her own.

The walls around them shook, air swirling around and around and around in a tornado that enclosed them at its centre.

A part of Skye was horrified, bellowing to get up, get back, get away. But as he whispered every piece of intel he'd ever seen or been told, she couldn't stem the deluge. Had to focus on using everything she had left not to buckle under the weight of it. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, there was only him and this compulsive need to have his all, to hear it all.

She felt drunk, on sensation, on the unknown - her senses heightened to fever pitch and she felt alive for the first time, inside and out. And the more depraved the act he mentioned, the more wicked a thing he confessed, an electrifying jolt hit Skye that was the right side of pain. Like an adrenalin shot to her entire body - she couldn't describe it - but her muscles clenched and released in time with every harsh word and it felt better than the best sex she'd ever had.

He went on, the words tumbling out in a dizzying rush for benediction, for her. As he whispered his darkest acts into her ear, laid bare every secret, pausing only to kiss or nibble on her throat, the incandescent light of her shone brighter. Afraid, Skye clutched at him, but as he whispered something truly awful in her ear, something else took over and she began to move on him in a way that pleased them both, until they were so in sync it was impossible to see where he ended and she began.

Skin glowing, high on new-found power, she stared deeply into his eyes and smiled, fingers stroking at his sweating cheek. Soothing away the panicked desperation she saw growing there. Thrusting, her starved body moved with unrelenting speed, until he broke, yelling out, and then moaning into her chest, begging her to stop, but she didn't. His dark eyes blurred, strong throat working furiously to keep up, as she leaned down to whisper in his ear in that same foreign tongue. And the room went haywire; new colours surfacing in the light, releasing purple, black and silver, an ultraviolet hurricane.

Against her skin, he gasped for air, drowning, desperate eyes rolling back in his head, but still the weight of him between her legs grew. Powerless, he thrust mindlessly against her, groaning, trying to buck her off. But their clothes dulled none of the sensation, so she went faster, plumbing him until his essence was in her bones. And as she watched him fading before her eyes, Skye experienced the biggest revelation of her life: she would kill him. If she let this go on; he would die. From afar, high above them, a part of her admired his tireless struggles even as his body lept at hers for more.

More, more, more.

So this is what A.C. meant by being careful with her powers - just until they knew more. On one level, she hated that it was Ward - her biggest failure - who'd shown her the way forward, her true power, but, on another, it didn't surprise her, not really.

_To be continued...(2/3)_


	3. Session 3

_GR Interrogation, Session 3. October 7, 2014_

Skye slammed out of the room to find two guards arguing in the hallway, but relieved to see that the strange blue glow had faded completely from her skin. As one of the guards shouted for backup, she made for the lab.

Fitz sat at his table, on his own. Tinkering, swearing, muttering in that way that broke her heart a bit more each time, especially when she heard him say 'Yes, Jemma, that's right, I'm almost there...'

At least their love had been real. She closed her eyes as she remembered Ward's face after their kiss in Providence, smiling, lovingly, almost, but that was just another lie. It made her want to break something - preferably the parts of him that called the most to her.

'Fitz?' she said quietly.

He stilled, but at least he acknowledged her this time. 'Agent Skye.'

Quickly, she explained what happened. He listened in silence, hardly reacted to any of it, not even when she mentioned the localised tornado and blue lights on skin. She left out the sexy bits. Her desire of Ward - in that way - was just a hangover from before, remnants of unfulfilled fantasies or something. Story complete, Fitz just stared at her. Eyes too big for his face.

'Fitz?'

He frowned, 'Yes, yes. I'm very busy!' Then, in his normal tone, 'Leave it with me,' and stormed off to confer with the lab rats.

Feeling worse than when she entered, Skye blew out a frustrated breath and cursed Ward again for the pain he had inflicted here. Reassuringly, she heard staff still being called down to the vaults. Damage control would likely take all day - AC would be livid when he returned from London - and so she opted for making herself scarce to write up her latest report. Bunks, situated on the third floor, were far away from the briefing stations. Self-contained and secured from the inside, they weren't her van, but she'd gotten used to their cosiness on the bus. Pushing her door, she caught the coin before it hit the ground. Better safe than dead. She could thank Ward for that lesson.

Distracted, by her own inane thought loop, and progressively more frantic announcements, she pushed and there he was. Lying on her bed, like a snake sunning itself on a rock, strong hands clasped behind his head as if there was nowhere else he was meant to be. Hard eyes shot to hers and with a tight nod, he indicated that she should come inside...

Panicked, she turned, but he was there before her, one muscly arm latching the door with a heavy click. Trapped between him and her only way out, Skye closed her eyes and focused.

Shut it out. Focus. Breathe. Plan.

May had taught her how. But shutting him out wasn't easy. The firm weight of him at her back was heightening her senses, whatever he'd unlocked downstairs earlier wanted to play, with him. Skye clamped down on a primal rush to flee - he wouldn't hurt her - even after everything he'd done, she knew that, and wasn't this what she truly wanted? Space and time, answers after months of guessing. And after the events of just now, she wanted even more.

Both let the silence run on until their uneven breath was the only sound left.

'How did you...?' she whispered.

No response, but his silent vigil at her back spoke volumes.

She'd been there the day he took on a dozen men and returned smiling. He didn't need to be touching for her to know that this was bad. Very, very bad. What did he want? Her eyes flicked to the bed. Besides that.

'Turn around.' he said, voice smooth like freshly packed earth over a grave.

Skye looked down at her hands to see that same blue light shimmered slowly onto her skin.

He lifted her hair to one side, warm breath at her ear, 'So,' he murmured, mouth grazing her neck, 'Did you enjoy showing off like that downstairs?'

She elbowed him, whirled around, 'What do you want?'

His eyes held her captive more than his hands did, 'You forgot something,' and then he was kissing her like she was a well and he wanted to drown.

Kissing him back before she realised what he was about, so familiar and yet so strange - before this place, when he was just Ward, before he was Hydra, she'd felt only the pop and crackle of wanting him for so long, but here and now, there was also a heady cocktail of danger. Kisses from a very bad man, and the way he could use that mouth, sent her into spirals.

He was holding her so delicately, she could've pushed him away easily enough, but she didn't – didn't want to. Behind them, everything in the room began to rattle, air dancing in dainty loops that became less dainty as the seconds past.

Caught in a terrifying new thrall, Skye gave as good as he, caressing him like a base jumper out for a stroll. Fused together they dived, landing with a thump against the door. Immediately, Ward lifted, her long legs clamping around his hips, so they lined up in exactly the right place. Both moaned at their first touch. Skye's breath caught as the heavy weight of him found her centre - so incredibly hot. Every inch of Skye's skin became luminescent with an indigo shimmer, Ward smiled and deepened their kisses.

Out of breath, Skye pulled away. Ward's mouth traced the soft hollows in her neck. 'What the hell have you done?' she said.

He smiled against her throat. 'Nothing - this is all you. I'm just along for the ride...'

That mouth on her pulse was enough to make her eyes cross, 'Stop it.'

'Not me, rookie, all you. You can stop, anytime - but do you really want to?'

With hands, stronger than they used to be, she pushed free of his embrace to the sanctuary of her bed. He remained where he was, but burning eyes told her that one wrong - or was it right? - move from her and he'd be there with her.

Steadier, she reached beneath pillow and pulled out a gun, indicating that he should stand back, against the wall.

He grinned.

'You have three seconds before I sound the alarm.'

So he told her, explained that her powers forced those around her to reveal their secrets - all of their secrets - from the extremely inconsequential to truly vile acts. Strangers, friends, governments, she was powerful enough to have Hague's most wanted on their knees. More than that, it meant she could see things in a way that others couldn't, but there was a catch, confessions, like his earlier, fuelled her. Without a regular feed her powers would become dormant once more.

Then, he paused, hand rubbing at his neck, 'And...'

'And what?'

'Hearing all those things, tough to remain unaffected. Impossible, without help.'

Eyebrow lifted, 'And that's you?'

Ward frowned. 'No, not me. Your Father.'

'My what now?'

'He's a doctor. The Doctor.'

'For...?'

He hesitated.

'My father's a doctor? So what?' She stilled. 'Hydra.'

He nodded, sitting down beside her on the bed when tears came to her eyes. 'I'm sorry - but you deserve to know.'

Unaided, the gun rolled out from her hands.

Voice low, 'There's more.'

Skye closed her eyes and swallowed. What could be worse than dear old Dad being Hydra's lead Frankenstein?

'Effects are mostly unknown - no one has had this gift in more than three centuries and never as a half-human- ' She flinched. 'But there are stories.'

Outside, unmistakable sounds of forces coming down the hall.

He shook his head. 'Not here.'

'Ward...'

'If they kill me, you'll never know.'

She sighed. 'OK, let's go.'

Together, they fought their way out. Ward's taking two men at a time and Skye holding her own.

Alone again, he was about to sprint for the nearest exit, when Skye grabbed his arm and hauled him back, 'No, not there, in plain sight.'

She led them to a storage bunker on level -3, underneath the vaults. High above them, through a maze of steel and glass, perimeter searches were being actioned just as they reached a small interrogation room.

Skye sat on the only chair, pointing the gun at him once more. 'OK, we have 30 minutes. Talk.'

He paced the concrete floor, hands going back and forth across his bearded jaw. 'Secrets fuel your powers. Give you a rush, correct?'

Skye flushed and studied the wall.

A knowing smirk found his mouth, ''That good, huh? How? How did it feel?'

Skye said nothing.

'The effects, they grow stronger over time, with use - not that unusual - but the user absorbs on more and more of what's revealed each time. So the more we know about what they experience the faster we can identify the best outlet for it. Make sense? So, what did you feel? Happy? Angry? Sad?'

'Horny.' she said quietly.

He stopped, face going slack. 'Horny?'

'Yep.'

Ward closed his eyes and swore. Going to the wall, he mimed punching it. Not good. Skye thought for a second. 'And when there's no outlet?'

'Are you sure?'

'100%'

Pacing faster now, 'If there's no outlet then the owner has no way of emptying out the darkness and sooner or later...'

'...they become the darkness.'

He nodded.

'OK, so I just need an outlet, a heavy bag...'

He shook his head, 'Once you're using your powers, you'll need to scratch the itch, often, and with someone who knows how.' He'd looked everywhere but at her as he said it.

'OK.' she said.

'OK?' he said, surprise on his face.

'Yeah, I'm sure I can find someone to 'scratch the itch'.'

He frowned. 'Did you notice anything else when your powers...' he cleared his throart, 'started?'

'No...'

'A kind of pulling?'

Her eyes narrowed. 'And if I did?'

'Those words, that woke your powers, they were special, unique to me, to us.'

She swore this time, 'If you're telling me that my itch can only be scratched by...'

He swallowed, 'Me,' He held up his hands, 'If I'd known, I wouldn't- well, maybe I would've -'

'Are you freakin' kidding me? My outlet, the only way I can let it out, that's you?!'

She stood, began to pace, waving her arms about angrily, 'There must be another way! An itch is an itch, right? Any guy -'

Ward grabbed her, eyes hot, so they were chest-to-nose, 'If you think I'll stand back to let you scratch it with another guy, you're wrong.'

Above them came the sounds of vault doors being opened and closed, the search was coming nearer.

'Fitz will find a way around it.'

'Not likely - Coulson's had him on it for months. Zilch so far.'

'Coulson knows?!'

'He knows about the trigger but we couldn't predict what the shockwaves, the effect you experience, would produce, so he held off. I'm sorry, Skye, truly.'

A disgusted sound. 'Liar. This is what you've wanted all along. There's a simple solution though.'

He raised an eyebrow.

'I'll handle it myself.'

Ward laughed. 'If you think that'll work, you've been with the wrong men.'

Skye huffed, crossing her arms, and slumped back into her seat.

Heavy footsteps sounded outside the door. Silently, Ward placed a finger to his lips and switched off the lights.


	4. Session 4

Skye latched the door behind her with a sigh.

_Today had been a bad day._ Even now, days later, she could still feel the surge; wreaking, writhing and...calling her. Its relentless whispers were a soundtrack she'd endured but not without effort. Every night, while she slept, it showed her – in terrible detail - what could be done. What she really wanted. And, color her surprised, it wasn't Ward.

Well, it was, sort of.

Whatever was pulling her towards him was just as strong as that first time he'd said the words - irrevocable, apparently - but it wasn't the worst. The worst was the ceaseless slideshow of images presented to her of the dark at its highest octave. Day or night, they flashed across her vision: How her powers could be applied, to strangers, but also her nearest and dearest. How they could be used to give her what she always craved. That was more seductive than any man, even Ward. And she couldn't get them out. No matter how hard she trained, how long she meditated, or how many times she….nothing was working and it was getting painful to hold it all in.

Vowing to forget it, she made for her bunk, shedding clothes as she went, until she slid naked under the sheets. She'd run five miles this morning, done two hours training, and she still felt as wired as the moment she'd stepped out of the room with Greta Benzi.

Their interrogation was going well. Greta was confessing to everything they asked of her - after Skye had taken a few minutes alone, with cameras out. AC was struggling not to ask, she could see it in the way his mouth went flat when she asked for the blackout. He'd probably decided he didn't want to know - and who would? Who wanted to see a monster do its thing - even if it was on your side?

Good thing Greta's intel had been very detailed so far, from Hydra's dead drop protocols and transmission hierarchy to the way she felt as she'd set her brother's dog on fire, just to watch him die… Skye rubbed her aching eyes, but the glee with which Greta described breathing in the sweet smell of burning canine hair and flesh was something she'd never rub out.

Throwing off the sheet, Skye took to the floor, pushing up and down until her arms screamed. She'd wanted to keep silent but the pressure was only getting worst so, last night, fed up and almost tearful with frustration, she'd told May. Only to have her blink a few times and then silently lead her to the training room. That workout had almost killed her and it hadn't down a thing to power down the source.

Obviously, she'd left out a few key things when she'd told May about her powers becoming active - like how Ward's command that had started the whole thing and his perverted theory that sex between them was the only preventative against her going full darkness. Ward would laugh if he could see her now. Good thing he was long gone.

She thought back to his face as the guards sprang them in the room downstairs. Of how that incredibly handsome face hardened as he took out each guard with systematic ruthlessness that no regular soldier could even hope to match, and the hallway was a wasteland of groaning bodies.

'Come with me!' he'd shouted as the last body fell from his grip to the floor.

Skye, frozen against the wall, could only shake her head, 'No, no, no!'

Sirens began pounding the walls. Emergency code 100 had just been activated. They had less than two minutes before the entire place went into complete shutdown. With a curse, he'd leapt over the bodies as if they were litter on a sidewalk, taking her face roughly into his hands. Those amber eyes shining, 'I'm the only one who can help you now, Skye! You have to trust me.'

It was the word trust that did it.

Roughly, she tried to push him off, 'Get off me.' as blue wisps began to climb up her arms.

Smirking, Ward pulled her closer to skim his mouth across hers in a feather-light touch, 'Come with me, Please.'

Weakened by the tender pleading in his voice, she let her head fall to his chest, 'I can't...'

'Yes, you can.'

'No, I really can't. AC needs me.' More footsteps thundered above them, sirens wailing now. She pushed at him until he let her go, 'Go! Now! Seriously. You won't get out after meltdown begins.'

He'd shrugged. 'Maybe I'll just hide out here until you're ready for me.'

'Don't be stupid. No one is worth dying over - especially not me!'

Without warning, he'd hauled her in and kissed her as if she was his last meal on death row. 'You are, but I'm more use to you alive, so I'll go. For now. But I'll come back for you, I swear.' Skye was ashamed of how much she'd wanted that to be the truth.

'Good to know - now, please, run!' she said, pointing towards the nearest exit. She'd never know how he got out - only that he did. Search teams had been deployed around the clock to sweep every nook of the Playground but had found no trace. He was really that good.

It was a shame that he'd turned to Hydra, she could've learned so much from him.

_Best marks in espionage since Romanov._ She remembered the way Fitz had said that with pride in those early days on the bus - then with such bitterness afterwards - and, at the time, she'd actually scoffed: That mummified Robot was good at spy games? Yeah, right. If only she'd looked a little harder, thought a bit more on why he would need to be so unassuming, so persona-less. The sheer naivety of being sucked in, when she'd dedicated her life to exposing lies, still made her close her eyes.

Angrily, she grabbed a swimsuit and her pass. Time to try a swim.

But she never made it to the pool.

_**Sixteen days earlier…**_

The door to Vault D opened soundlessly. Agent Coulson swept down the stairs to glare angrily at the younger man sitting on the bed. 'Whatever it is you're doing, it stops here and now.'

Ward raised an eyebrow, 'OK…'

'You thought you were so clever but you forget I've been around much longer than you. Longer than Garett even. '

Ward stiffened. 'I've no idea what you think I've done but –'

Coulson held up a hand. 'Save it. Tell me how Raina is communicating with you.'

Ward's eyes narrowed. 'How do you know it's Raina…?'

Coulson blinked. 'You didn't know who it was? And yet you were willing to share intel on us? On Skye. You make me sick!' With that, he picked up the tablet and turned it to face Ward, 'Here's what you've done.'

Ward's confusion was obvious. 'But that's…'

'Yes, and you've just given him exactly what he wanted. You monsters have to stick together, I guess.'

A/N: A momentary diversion while I make up the next bit. Hope you're still with me and enjoying this story? Comments/reviews welcome.


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